The present invention is directed to a collapsible container for dispensing a flowable substance.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,163 to Rauh, et al., a collapsible container is disclosed for dispensing a variety of materials ranging from toilet articles to food stuffs. The material may be highly viscous, though a liquid or fluid substance can be dispensed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,509 to McGuire, a variable volume reservoir is disclosed having a principal use in fuel supply systems. The container is made up of a pair of spaced panels interconnected by a bellows-like structure so that the panels move toward one another as the reservoir collapses.
One of the problems faced in packaging has been to provide a collapsible container from which the contents can be completely dispensed while providing effective labelling surfaces. In the packaging of flowable substances, providing a container which can be efficiently shipped and stored provides a difficult task. Flexible containers usually are not collapsible, or if they are, it is difficult to return them to the condition for filling with the substance to be dispensed. Generally, the containers have been of a rounded or arcuate cross section. In shipment, such containers require considerable space and can be shipped economically only over relatively short distances. For the same reason that shipping provides a problem, storage of the containers is also, difficult.
Depending on the substance to be dispensed, it may be important to maintain the container contents in a sterile condition. Moreover, if the contents are relatively expensive, the capability of dispensing the entire contents is significant.